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Topic: Conical Fermenter Size (Read 4743 times)

An opportunity to get a used 14 gal Blickman conical stainless steel fermenter at a good price has come up. However, I don't want to brew 10 gallon batches. Has anyone brewed 5 gallon batches in a 14 gal fermenter and did it have any affect on the beer. It seems to me that the additional head space might be a problem. I'd appreciate any input you may have before I commit to buying this; even though the price is good, it still costs a few bucks.

The only real problem would be if it has a racking port or arm that's designed to leave behind a fixed portion of the 10 gal batch. Proportionately, you'd be doubling the losses for a 5 gal batch. It would also be a waste of CO2, if you're planning on carbonating in the conical.

And can I say how extremely jealous I am of those who decided to go with stand up fridges right off the bat??? I bought chest freezers back when I was strictly using carboys. Now i want to go for a conical because of the many awesome niceties they offer (stainless body, yeast collecting, etc.). I am in a pickle. Ugh, if I would have only seen the evolution...

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Michael P MitchemBeer and Ale Research Foundation (B.A.R.F.)AHA Member since 2011

And can I say how extremely jealous I am of those who decided to go with stand up fridges right off the bat??? I bought chest freezers back when I was strictly using carboys. Now i want to go for a conical because of the many awesome niceties they offer (stainless body, yeast collecting, etc.). I am in a pickle. Ugh, if I would have only seen the evolution...

yeah - on my first one, I built a shelf and was able to keep 4 carboys or buckets in the fridge at one time - a bit easier lifting them onto shelves rather than up over and down. are you a member of a homebrew club - maybe someone would want your chest freezer so you can get a new one? Or just use the chest freezer as a lagering/on deck fridge and get an upright for fermenting

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